7PM Friday!

The appointment went well at around 2PM this afternoon. Stripped some membranes. Approx 4cm dilated and "more" effaced than last Tuesday's appointment! Midwife unofficially implied that we either try stripping membranes again next week with a midwife or go to the hospital with the intent to have them 'break the water' (which was our plan anyways)!

We have a c-section scheduled for next Friday but based on the increasing aches & pains tonight it doesn't look promising that we'll make it through this weekend without meeting our new little baby girl!

As I type, L is on the couch and rocking around. Lots of back pain. Lots of contractions. I'm convinced that she won't go into labor until she's done reading her tween vampire novel (geezz....)

More later (hopefully with some adorable pictures)!

A

3:05am.

Nope, not in labor. I'm in the middle of a giant bedtime battle with Lucy. Super fun. She got up at 12:30, 2 and now this. She's in there yelling, "Mama! Mama! Mama!" Luckily her room is at the very end of the basement hallway and I'm the only one listening to this charade. Not so lucky that I'm incredibly tired and am not going to be able to function on 3 hours of sleep in the morning. Andrew will be here in less than 24 hours. Less than 24 hours. Less than 24 hours. 

I had another reflexology appointment last night. It was wonderful, but no contractions...sigh. Hopefully having Andrew around and my being able to really relax and know that everything is ok will help put me into labor. I really miss him, especially now as I'm just trying to keep it together and stay calm while I deal with Lucy's freaking out. It's just the icing on the cake, you know? I had a really relaxing day yesterday, but it's kind of all undone now, since I'm wide awake at 3 am, listening to my toddler scream over the injustices of having to sleep in her crib. It's so tempting to give in and I'm all alone without anyone to tell me to be strong. She hasn't done this in over a month. I'm assuming she's just picking up on all of my stress and all of the changes about to occur, but that doesn't make it any easier to listen to...I just want to be sleeping right now.

Noon, no luck.

The contractions went away almost immediately after I wrote that, so now I'm just...hanging out. Lucy is at Grandma's and I'm just trying to relax a little and not be bummed that it was another false alarm. Every day that goes by past my due date is one more closer to not having a successful VBAC for me, but one day closer to meeting Miss X, so I'm just trying to stay positive and know that Little Sister will come right when she's supposed to. The odds for success do decline a little, but God knows how He wants this baby to come out and I'm just leaving it in his hands. Andrew will be here tomorrow and things will be just fine again. I miss him like crazy. I handled a month very well, but a month is definitely my breaking point.

Also, please say a prayer for Andrew. Things are picking up in his world and I know he's got a lot going on and could use some support. We may have exciting things happening for our family in the next few months and could use a little extra prayer for all of the craziness to just keep itself low and easy. We always say we're going to tackle one thing at a time, but God seems to think the C's can handle a lot more than we plan for, doesn't He? I tend to agree with him, being married to Mr. Easy-going. He makes it easy to handle things. I just hope we can get everything in order and make the right decisions for our family as the choices present themselves.

Well, I'm off to shower with my new cranberry body wash. Anything to keep my spirits up, right?? :-) I love new body wash.

40 + 3

Feeling yucky, still. Mom is on her way over to get Lucy and I'm going to hope that the contractions I've had this morning can commit and stay for awhile. It would be so nice to go into labor...I'm not holding my breath, but I'm feeling positively awful, so I suppose that's a good sign. As soon as Lucy leaves, I'm going to crash and try to get some more sleep, and then I'll see what's going on when I wake up. I hope something's going on by then...

40 + 2

I'm totally fried and am going to bed. My appointment was fine. I'm dilated 2-3 centimeters, 60-70% effaced, and baby is still at a -3. I'll post more tomorrow.
If you called me today, I am SO SORRY, but I'm just so exhausted that I can't possibly say another word to anyone. I'm so exhausted that I'm becoming super emotional, and that combined
with my highly emotional breakdown at my midwife's office today is enough to prevent me from trying to carry a normal conversation. I'm just not in any position to chat...keep checking the blog. I'll post more about today's appointment once my double vision goes away.

Dinner & Shopping!

Just got back from dinner and shopping with Mom. We always have so much fun together. We just laugh and laugh and laugh. I hope Lucy can say that about me someday...sigh. We had dinner at Chili's and then we went over to Kohl's and I was able to find some cute stuff for Lucy. We packed all sorts of clothes for our trip down here and she hit a major growth spurt about halfway through and grew out of almost everything we brought! So we found more pants and some more warm shirts. I just can't keep up with this kid!

As for Baby Sister, she's doing just fine and is still on the inside. I'm guessing I have about 8 days to go. Then again, I've never been much of a gambler. I cleaned and organized like a nut this morning, but it really didn't do a whole lot for me. I have an appointment tomorrow, so hopefully we'll see some more progress!

Due +1

Still nothing. We walked and walked yesterday and I got some good contractions, but nothing's really going on today. Oh well, lots of time left. I have an appointment tomorrow at 2:30; hopefully we'll see some progress. I feel gigantic and I have a ton of emails to respond to...sigh.

Missing Her Papa

Andrew and I have been lucky enough to be able to use Skype on a daily basis to see each other and talk, but Lucy is JUST now starting to understand that Daddy can see her and hear her and that everything is in real time. So, she spends a lot of time sitting on the desk, kissing him and waving. They've been playing peek-a-boo and Lucy ends up just screaming herself silly, laughing at him while he pops up.

It's enough to melt your heart. They miss each other terribly, and it seems to be getting worse by the day... :-(

Tonight Lucy played with Play-doh. I thought this was the cutest little scene. I have no idea what was going through her mind, but boy is she full of ideas...

What are Hugh doing tonight?

Hugh Jackman? Fabulous. Hugh Jackman hosting the Oscars? Fabulouser. Hugh Jackman SINGING and DANCING whilst hosting the Oscars? Fabulousest.

All this and Samoas too? I must be dreaming. Due date be damned, I'm pulling through just fine, thank you very much.

Happy Due Date!

Church was a veritable circus this morning. I guess hugely pregnant chicks stay in to worship this close to delivery? It was nothing short of a gawk-fest, but Lucy was a perfect doll! Love that kid.
Yep, today is my due date! Boo-yah! Only 2 more weeks til we meet the little critter! Sigh...maybe this week. I miss Andrew so much; I want to go into labor so that he'll drive down and see me! :-) Otherwise, I'm feeling fine and we're going to head to the mall for a little walking. Ok, a lot of walking. What did I tell you about Mama C and her list of demands?? I'm serious, here! And Andrew is just as bad. He actually told her to call when I start whining so he can yell at me. Niiice.

You thought YOUR habits were hard to break...

Lucy loves her pacifiers. We've been cracking down a lot more and taking them away whenever she's not sleeping, so she's been a little fractious lately. As you can see, she was so desperate today that she found a plastic mushroom from her play food and substituted as necessary. This is going to be a tough habit to break...

And speaking of loving my mother-in-law, look what Mom C surprised me with today! I was tickled pink when she told me she'd made an appointment from a mani/pedi to prepare me for all of those hospital pictures. So sweet! It was a perfect surprise at the end of a big, fat pregnant week. I had a lovely time and am feeling very princessy! The manicurist asked me, "You want design on toes??" I answered, "Oh no, that's ok!" She replied, "No charge! I do it for your baby! She'll love it!" How sweet is that!? I'll have to show baby the minute she arrives. So, it's been a fabulous Friday. It would be an awesome night to go into labor. (Especially because I've been warned that there will be major walking and various forms of torture if I hit my due date without producing an heir to the C Throne. I love Mom C to pieces, but she's all business when it comes to getting her grandchildren out of their mothers. It would be very kind of Princess C to come out before Grandma springs into action and I have to buy new walking shoes.) Hurry, baby, hurry!

My FABU digits. Love the flowers! Have you ever seen such gorgeous pregnant feet? I must say, I have adorable toes. And imagine how they'll sparkle with my swimwear!!

For Your Enjoyment

Well, I have to post this. I can't keep it in any longer. I will explain my pictures before you scoll down. It's worth reading the explanation first.
So, at Mom and Dad C's, there is a hot tub. Lucy LOVES the hot tub and for a pregnant girl, it's just wonderful. So we get in the hot tub every day. (Ok, twice a day, but that's not the point here.) There just happen to be about 20 billion swimsuits in the downstairs bathroom, collected from here and there and different people.
A few weeks ago, I drove down from Frostburg for an appointment and got in late. Lisa and Mom C were in the hot tub and I didn't bring a swimsuit with me. I'm told, "Oh, there's a flowery one in the bathroom - just throw that on!" So I did. While the first few moments were a tad shocking, it turns out that this swimsuit is the closest to comfortable I've been in a very long time. So I knew I had to share it with you ALL. Not only am I incredibly willing to put it on, but I'm very happily wearing it daily. There have been so many pregnancies in the C family that it would take a long time to track down the original owner, but this suit is by far the best part of my pregnancy to date.
Since I am due this week, it seems fitting that I celebrate with pastels and large swimsuits. Not ONLY pastels, but a kickin' neck ruffle. I had to use the self-timer since I'm really not sure I could get anyone to help me take pics of this hilarity, but you'll get the gist.

Here is Lucy pointing outside to the hot tub. She waits on this bench everytime we go in. It's terribly cute.

The Suit.

The Suit as it was this morning. (Note Lucy holding her hands behind her back and sticking her tummy out for yet another belly pic. Too cute!)

Andrew had not seen the suit until last weekend. When I strutted out to the hot tub to show it off rather than throw on the cute maternity suit hanging next to it, his face registered about 12 different emotions. His response to my giant belly in the sexy suit? "Oh...babe...wow...that's...really hot. Really."

Happy Friday, y'all.

It's 4am and I'm blogging. Please, baby, come out soon. Mama needs to sleep without swelling.

Our tax refund came in and I'm doing my bills and budget, so at least I'm being productive. Guess I'll try for another hour or so before Lucy decides to greet the day. Why does she insist on getting up so early?? Guess I'm really not one to talk at this point...my Friday to-do is done and it's still incredibly dark out there.

Ok, back to my pillow pile. I think I'll think of something terribly fun to do today as I drift back to sleep.

Finally, recognition.

How excited is this swollen and overdue excuse for a recreation and parks degree recipient?

So incredibly restless.

I'm just so antsy and restless. Grey's Anatomy starts in half an hour and I just can't settle in yet! Andrew is out drinking beer with friends and Lu just went to bed. And that's really all I have to say. Feeling fine, no baby tonight!

40 weeks huge!

If you don't like pictures of pregnant bellies, you're about a half a scroll from disappointment, so exit quickly!

Lucy taking care of her horsie.

When she saw I was taking pictures of my belly, she was very quick to pull up her shirt and yell, "EEEEEEEZZZZ!!!"

40 weeks of pregnant glory. Will we have a 41 week picture?? Baby has really dropped and is hanging rather precariously over what used to be my waist...sigh. It's going to be scary watching this belly go back to normal!

Mama's Plea

Dear Baby C,

Come out and meet us! We're incredibly cool people and we let Lucy eat TONS of cookies, so odds are you'll get the same treatment. Enticing, no?
I'm just so excited to meet you. Will you have brown hair? Red hair? Brown eyes? Green eyes? Will you have pale skin like your big sister and daddy, or olive skin like me? Are you going to be 8 pounds, 3 ounces like I'm guessing?
I'm dying to search your big gray baby eyes, play with your pushy little feet, touch your soft baby hair. I can't wait to feed you and do all those mommy things, like looking for birthmarks, putting your weight in your baby books and taking pictures of your little face. I can't wait to clip your too-long newborn nails and put your in your first pink outfit. I'm so excited about introducing you to your big sister. She's going to be so excited when she realizes that you're hers to keep! I think I'll be just as excited.
I'm ok with still being pregnant, but I just really want to see you. And I can't WAIT to introduce you to everyone and tell them your name! Hurry, hurry! We're getting impatient!

Love, Mommy C

Also.

I giant triple pink puffy heart Erin L. :-)

Reflexology.

I am simply stunned by the number of people who actually thought I could predict going into labor last night. Obviously I couldn't, and I didn't. Sigh.
I had a lovely reflexology appointment last night and my "uterine points" are all nice and relaxed and tender. Maybe I didn't flush out enough toxins. I got two or three small cramps our of the deal, but that's about it. :-( I haven't had a good contraction in about 50 hours. Oh well. She can't stay in there forever, right?
Today Lucy and I are going to head to the library for story time, and then we might grab some pancakes at McDonald's. Well, I guess we'd have to do pancakes first. So tempting...I've been craving pancakes like a maniac for the past 4 weeks. I'll be really glad when these cravings settle down enough to let me enjoy just eating whatever's in front of me...
Well, Lucy is up and she definitely doesn't want me using the computer. More later.

Sisterly Love

I am so in love with my LucyCakes. We just got out of the hot tub. It started snowing while we were in there and we just sat in silence, listening to the snow hit the holly trees next to the hot tub. She loves to sit and think, and we had such a nice, quiet time just watching the "no" hit the ground. It's one of the only times she sits still long enough for me to just stare and her and think about how far we've come.
It makes me a little bit sad to be giving up our special time together, but so excited to be giving Lucy a sister. Sisterly love is so different and strange and trying and perfect - every little girl deserves to have a companion to grow into adulthood with. Nina and I have had our differences through the years, because we're two separate people and you really can't choose your relatives. They're not bad differences, just sister things. But we can rely on each other to hold our memories in two minds that think and feel differently, and that's so special. There really is no relationship in the world like the one you share with a sister. I don't see Nina nearly as much as I'd like to, since we live so far apart, but we get together whenever we can and it's so weird to see how Lucy understands who Nina is. I guess it's the voice and the mannerisms and the way we interact, but Lucy has never showed an ounce of hesitation with Nina the way she does with other people. I can't wait to watch Lucy and Little Sister grow together. They'll need each other in so many different ways and my only goal for them is that they continue to rely on each other and grow to love each other in the same intense and strange bond that every sister in the world feels.
Today Mom and the boys are going to come up to hang out in the area for a bit, and then I have a reflexology appointment to convince Little Sister to come out and visit. I do want to go into labor, but I'm not rushing. I need my time with Lucy. I'm enjoying her too much these days to try to rush anything.

Breaking News!

A name has been chosen and we can't wait to share it with you...when baby arrives! Ha, maybe THAT will get you slackers praying harder for labor. And don't bother trying to get it out of me. Since marrying Andrew, I've become about 40% more likely to keep a secret! I mean, we kept the sex of this baby a secret for 2 WEEKS! That's huge. And I'm already withholding it from my mom, my mother in law AND my sister without any issue. So that counts double, right?
It's adorable just like Lucy's name, and everyone will love it!

And she will be called....

"Nine Wow."

I asked Lucy today what we should name the baby. That was her response. Since we want her to feel included, we've decided it's as good a name as any. I mean, Blossom's best friend was named Six, so Nine isn't too much of a stretch, right?

Nine Wow, it is.

Feb 16th - A Day In The Love

He's affectionate!

Nesting - It's not for weenies.

Weather.com says it's 40 degrees right now. It's definitely closer to 55. Luce and I went out for pizza and a library run, and when we got home I had the uncontrollable urge to clean my car. It's too pretty to be inside, and BOY does my car look good now! I would assume this is "real nesting," since I don't really have a house to clean at the moment...I also have grand plans to wash my diaper bag, Lucy's stroller padding and all of our little "washable" things around here. OOH, like her carseat cover. That would be divine. I'm also reorganizing the "old" diaper bag and Lucy has been moved up into a shiny new Abbycadabby backpack. She was shrieking in Walmart, so excited over her new "purse." I just don't want to think about who's stuff is who's in the diaper bag, and Lucy doesn't really require more than a sippy and a diaper these days, so she's now responsible for her own stuff. You should have seen her running around with her little purple backpack on her back. She was spinning around and giggling and so proud of her little bag. Sigh. She's getting so big. Backpacks mean big kids and Lucy's going to be 2 in just a few short weeks. :-( I mean, not until May, but that's only 10 weeks away and a year is 52, so it's a very short time. Of course, that means party planning, so all is not lost. And I'll have a tiny baby who needs me. That will help.
Anyway...all I really wanted to say was that I'm fully, officially nesting. My back is KILLING me from all the cleaning, but Mama C will be so proud of the way I used my burst of energy wisely!

Naptime Post

After Lucy's frightening "Mama, I cannnn't west" attempt at a nap yesterday, I was very scared for today. However, she went down early and she went down HARD. I think we'll go out for a slice of pizza when she wakes up. She'd love that.
Today I'm feeling absurdly honest and frank, so I feel it's probably best if I limit my post to a brief rundown of my general health and well-being. I'll just bullet my thoughts.

• I love Suz. She's an incredibly cheering person who always has a fresh and funny perspective.
  
• I am feeling fine, no better, no worse. I assume we'll see some action closer to the weekend, but am posting updates nightly for my own reference and memories later on. I could go another 3 weeks, so let's not get all crazy, ok?
  
• I do not have the power to birth my child on any certain day. Telling me to "have the baby on X" is not going to motivate me to try harder to have the baby.
• We may or may not call anyone when I go into labor. Try not to take it personally. As it happens, labor and delivery are hard work and I doubt I'll be thinking about anything but the baby, much less calling people to tell them about it. I honestly have no idea if we called anyone when I was in labor last time. Andrew might have some recollection, but if I recall correctly I didn't talk on the phone for about 4 days. I was actually in labor and working pretty hard for 3 of those days, if memory serves. You'll know as soon as we're in the position to make phone calls! I will try to update the blog but if you know our phone number, please try not to call. Mom and Nina will be happy to field any questions and will update the blog and send out an announcement as soon as we have one.
  
• Maple is in heat. Our little girl has become a woman! I told Andrew that since he's a single parent right now, it's his duty to throw a puppy period party and celebrate her transition into maturity. He didn't sound too keen on the idea, but he's probably just worried about future resentment. I'm calling today to make a spay appointment. Do they give the doggies a pregnancy test before they spay them?? I'm incredibly pro-life and would hate to...sigh.
  
• Andrew's office threw him a little surprise baby shower yesterday. So cute!
  
• I miss Andrew.
  

Feb 15th - A Day In The Love

He understands the importance of education. Do we miss him a lot when his grad work keeps him up and out too late? Of course. Do we appreciate the amount of work and dedication he's putting into it? Absolutely. Andrew could have stopped at his two undergrad degrees, but his love of learning and his insistence that we be well taken care of have led us on quite a journey t his MBA. He says he's stopping here, but somehow I don't think I'll be too surprised when he goes back to school for yet another round. He's an academic. I know that his habits and appreciation for education will rub off on our kids and really mold them into lifelong learners. So many people around the world are denied this wonderful gift and I'm so happy that Andrew has such a firm grasp of how blessed we are to have the freedom to educate ourselves.

Feb 14th - A Day In The Love

He still talks about the Redwoods. One thing I adore about Andrew is his wonder. He still hangs on to the magic and awe that most adults have forgotten. Watching Andrew see the Redwoods was so funny and endearing. He just had no idea they made trees that big.

Feb 13th - A Day In The Love

He's incredibly nice to look at.

Feb 12th - A Day In The Love

He lights me up. Andrew makes my laughs louder, my smiles brighter, my days sunnier and my heart happier just by being in my life. He sort of accentuates everything good about my world and makes it feel like the best is better. I love that.

Monday Night

Good day today, no pics to post. I was feeling good earlier, but I kept falling asleep. So Grandma took Lucy to play with Josiah and I spent the evening on the couch feeling VERY gross and flu-ish. I just got out of the shower in the hopes that that would make me feel better. I just want Andrew and he's far away. I ended up just crying in the shower and hoping I wouldn't hurl. I didn't, but I still feel very shaky and icky and nervous. I'm going to lie down again and see if this passes. :-(

5am, nothing to report.

My back pain came and went, but nothing really stuck so here I am at 5am after falling asleep way too early! I'm missing Andrew something awful, and since we have no plans to see each other for two weeks, I'm hoping Miss Ethel makes her appearance sooner than later, if only to have my sweetie back at my side! He has 3 weeks of PTO to use after her birth, so I'm hoping to get lots of time in with him. :-)
Today I'll blog, I think. For now I'm going to head back to my bed on the couch and think happy thoughts until Lucy howls again.

Sunday Afternoon/Evening

Started having bad back pain around 2, am walking and using heat to try to calm it down. Andrew is, of course, back in Frostburg now. Lucy is going to head to the aquarium for the evening, so I'll be hanging out here with my heating pad and the hot tub, waiting to see if things settle down!

Hitting The Wall

I am so tired and sore and crabby. I am really, really trying to stay positive and nice and happy, but I'm just exhausted and my whole body is filled up with bony baby. I just want to see my sweet baby. I've had a wonderful pregnancy, but I'm so tired and ready to have this over with. I just want to curl up in bed with my girls and smile at my husband over their fuzzy little heads. I'm so, so, so sick of cramps and back pain and speculation and unsolicited advice. Blllllleeeeaaaahhh.

We went to the hospital last night and it was lovely. We hadn't seen it yet, so it was nice to look around and meet some of the nurses. I mean, it looks identical to every other L&D ward in the world, but at least we know where the snacks are now. Andrew thought it was wonderful and is excited. It's really hard to get excited about the hospital after my previous hospital experience, but I suppose it was just fine and I'll be happy enough to be there when the time comes. I'm just OB-shy.

Well, I'm getting a killer headache and I'm going to lie down until Chicken wakes up from her nap. That should be about 3 minutes from now. Sigh. I spent too much time running around!

Bouncing Lucy!

Yesterday we took Lucy to the mall and we stopped at The Bounce About for her to play for a little while. She had never seen such a thing and she had a blast. I think these pictures will sum it up pretty good!

Huge Progress!!

Yay! As of 2pm today, I'm a "loose 1 cm" dilated, 60% effaced, very soft and baby is at -3 station. All of which is major progress for a reformed non-progressor.

1 cm dilated means that my cervix is opening up right on time. She said it was a very loose one, but she can't give me a 2. I'm happy with that. I never dilated with Lucy, so 1cm is a big deal.

60% effaced is the amount that my cervix is thinning, so any number moving forward is a very good thing. I was 50% about 10 days ago. The softness is important because it goes hand in hand with effacement.

-3 station is how low the baby is. They start looking at the baby's position at -5 station, and as she gets lower it goes from -5 to 0 to +5 as the baby's coming out. -3 means she's lower to zero which is is fully engaged. My midwife said that her head is engaging and she didn't try to move up when she pushed on her head, so that's a great sign. Now I just need to stay upright so that her head can continue to do the right kind of work and get some more dilation going.

I've been having good working contractions every night and my progress is a very good sign that they ARE real contractions, which is something I never had with Lucy. So, things are lining up well for a successful VBAC. My midwife told me I should come in and have the baby on Sunday, since she'll be on call...riiiight. She said that things look great and I could go any time, so now we just wait! My next appointment will be on the 24th, two days after my due date. With any luck, I'll never make it!

As for a name, stay tuned for another round of polling. Either way, you're not going to hear a thing from us until there's a picture to go with the name, so don't count on a big announcement just yet!

Well, Andrew is here this weekend and we're planning to stay busy and keep walking! We'll keep updating!

Appointment Today!

2pm Eastern Standard time, tune in around 3 for all the details!

Bedtime.

If I don't force myself to go to sleep right this minute, I'm going to go into Lucy's room and steal her out of her crib for a snuggle. I'm obviously not thinking clearly. I love that kid to bits. She's just such a lovable little chicken. You know you're in love with your baby when you stay at home with her all day and miss her when she goes to bed. Good thing I'm having another; I'd definitely have her begging for emancipation if she was an only child. I suppose it's really her fault for being so cute and agreeable. She's like a tiny little Andrew trapped in a cherub's body. What's not to adore??

Feb 11th - A Day in the Love

He's a good sport. Whether it's dressing in matching colors for family pictures or giving in during a silly argument, Andrew is always willing to accept and move on. Neither of us are particularly stubborn and we're both willing to ask forgiveness, so that really does make it ten times easier. I can't count on both hands and feet the number of times I've heard Andrew say, "I stand corrected," and that makes a big difference in a marriage. A spouse who's willing to be "wrong" is a spouse who's willing to let his significant other be "right," and sometimes you need to be right to feel like a real person. Andrew is so easy to disagree with, because he's just so easy to get along with in the first place. Being a stay-at-home mom can really challenge your mental status sometimes, and Andrew understands that I need the space to be the "boss" sometimes, just so I feel like I'm making a real difference and using my head. He's always there to reign me in gently and carefully, but I appreciate how sensitive he is to my need to organize over and over and re-hash seemingly simple decisions, if for no other reason than to work my mind. He's a good sport, and I love that.

Don't Tell Daddy Thursday

The best thing about a toddler? I always have an excited dessert buddy, and she's still too young to tattle on our naughty outings! Lucy and I snuck out to Chili's today for Molten Lava Cake and she went absolutely nuts! You've never seen a kid clap so hard or scream so loud for chocolate. Thrilling.

Feb 10th - A Day In The Love

He's fun. There's nothing about Andrew that isn't delightful and fun to be around. He has a great sense of humor and we spend so much time teasing each other and laughing. Not only are our happy times fun, but our truly bad times too. Andrew keeps a smile on his face even when it seems like things are getting rough, and it makes it easier to weather what's ahead. I love that.

Come Out & Play, Baby!

I want to meet this baby! I'm going insane. I really am. 

I have an appointment on Friday and am very excited. I'm really hoping for some progress, since I'll be just about 39 weeks and haven't seen my midwife since last Tuesday. 

I had great contractions all night last night, but to no avail. I think I had them most of the time I was sleeping, too. Sigh. That's ok. Lucy and I are having fun this week and I'm having a good time spoiling her before Baby arrives. We have a little Valentine's Day craft planned for Friday and Andrew will be down again this weekend. I'm trying to save my money so that I can take him out to dinner or something fun. 

We got one of our tax refunds in this morning. I was pretty happy about that. It'll be nice to have it before baby arrives, since I'm not sure what our insurance is going to cover, exactly. And, if I end up with a c-section, God forbid, we'll need the extra to cover our deductible! I'm thinking that if we're going to have a baby every other year, it might be a good idea to upgrade to the fancy plan with our next open-enrollment period. I think we're on the "almost fancy" plan right now, and the deductible is a tad high for my liking. Andrew just did the insurance again, so I guess I should check with him on all of this. Maybe Blue Cross changed something to our favor. Ha. 

Lucy and I are going to meet Mom and the boys in Whitemarsh today for a little fun. I'm not really sure what sort of fun, but Lucy is excited about seeing "John and NanNan and _____" She just can't say Paul yet! I told her we might see "Damma" today and she perked right up. Damma should not be confused with MAAAAAAAAM, whom we are living with. I don't even KNOW what she calls me right now, mostly because boring old Mommy really doesn't rate a title or much attention when you're surrounded by Grandparents. Of course, I'm still expected to show up on time at 5am to whisk her to my bed where she sleeps until 6:30 every morning. She also requires that I present chocolate chips after her nap for her approval and keep her milk cup filled to the desired preset amount. But the person who gave her life is summoned by a mish-mash of names left over from naming the two women who REALLY love her, Damma and MAAAAAAAM. My next baby will be more appreciative. 

Well, the smell of toddler poo is in the air and I really need to shower before Lucy loses her sense of humor. 

The Hand That Rocks The Cradle

Blessings on the hand of women!

Angels guard its strength and grace,

In the palace, cottage, hovel,

Oh, no matter where the place;

Would that never storms assailed it,

Rainbows ever gently curled;

For the hand that rocks the cradle

Is the hand that rules the world.

Infancy's the tender fountain,

Power may with beauty flow,

Mother's first to guide the streamlets,

From them souls unresting grow--

Grow on for the good or evil,

Sunshine streamed or evil hurled;

For the hand that rocks the cradle

Is the hand that rules the world.

Woman, how divine your mission

Here upon our natal sod!

Keep, oh, keep the young heart open

Always to the breath of God!

All true trophies of the ages

Are from mother-love impearled;

For the hand that rocks the cradle

Is the hand that rules the world.

Blessings on the hand of women!

Fathers, sons, and daughters cry,

And the sacred song is mingled

With the worship in the sky--

Mingles where no tempest darkens,

Rainbows evermore are hurled;

For the hand that rocks the cradle

Is the hand that rules the world.

William Ross Wallace, 1865

Feb 9th: A Day In The Love

He makes incredibly cute people. I may have hit the genetic jackpot when I married Andrew. He and I look nothing alike, but it turns out we're a dynamic duo, reproductively speaking. I also happen to think that even if I was not her mother, I would think Lucy is one of the cutest children ever to walk the earth. I am so stoked about having this baby if for no other reason than to see what she looks like. 

I also happen to think that Andrew is by far the cutest boy I've ever met. 

Feb 8th - A Day In The Love

He'll try anything once. Or even a few times. Do you know how rare this is in a person? Andrew is hands-down the most adventurous and fun person I know. He's always up for a drive to nowhere, a place he's never been or a food he's never tasted. He never makes up his mind on the first try and that's refreshing. He doesn't care what I serve for dinner, and no matter what it is, he always leans across the table and says, "Thank you. That was delicious." It just melts my grinchy little heart. There are so few people who will go the lengths Andrew will just for experience. I love that.

Feb 7th - A Day In The Love

He's incredibly optimistic. We took this picture weeks before we were knew we were expecting #2 just because Andrew was confident that we'd get the result we wanted and we knew we'd want a picture to remember the best souvenir of our trip to the Outer Banks. And we did! His optimism and sunny outlook keep me balanced and cheery even when nothing feels particularly sunny. He often comments that he feels like he's "luckier" than most people. I don't think he's just lucky. I think he's charmed. When someone has a certain something, you can't ignore them. I suggest marrying them instead. 

Feb 6th - A Day In The Love

He loves his Mama. But he doesn't just love his Mama. He adores and understands her. This matters to me because women have been "dealing" with their mothers-in-law for centuries. Andrew's relationship with his mom and his attention to who she is makes for a peaceful and happy family. I can't possibly think of a complaint about my generous, charitable and loving mother-in-law. She raised a perfect gentleman in Andrew and his love for her reflects itself in the way he treats his wife and daughters. He's nothing less than a perfect gentleman 100% of the time and I'm pretty sure that gentleman are not born, but made. And I love that, too. 

Feb 5th - A Day In The Love

What makes Andrew a good husband and father? He's present. That may seem so basic, but it makes the biggest difference in the lives of the people around you. At 4:30pm, his cell phone alarm goes off, he switches off his monitor and he leaves his office. He swoops in the door ready to play, regardless of the day he's had. There are no excuses and no explanations. When he says he'll be there, he's there. In the life of a child, there is no past or future and Andrew understands that. He's always present and always attentive, making each of us feel incredibly loved, respected and valued. I love that. 

Sunday Night

Andrew gave me a free pass to skip my blogging on the days we're together in person, so tomorrow night I will catch up on my blog posts. Tonight, I'm going to sit on the couch and enjoy my fuzzy blanket.
We had an awesome weekend together and did lots of fun stuff! I'll blog all about it tomorrow when my head is less stuffy.
And while you're praying for me to go into labor, which I assume you are...please pray that this awful cold goes away before Baby decides to come!

Revote!

Now let's narrow it down between the top two contenders, which a middle name change. 

Also

Please vote in our name poll. Baby needs a moniker.

A Letter to My Second Daughter

Dear Baby What's-Her-Name,

I am sorry that my first letter to you isn't sappy, but this just isn't the time or the place.

I am writing today to implore you to stop slamming your pointy little head into my terribly faithful and sore cervix. It's been good to me for 25 years and I see no reason for you to abuse the body that's given you life for 10 months. Spanking to follow blissful birth.

Also, it's high time you started doing something more productive than practicing your breathing and growing vital organs. I would like to ask that you begin looking for the nearest exit. (Hint, it's under your pointy little head.)

We're all ready, I've gained more than the recommended amount and your Daddy's in town til Sunday. Why not save the gas and just come this weekend? Then he can stay, I can breathe properly again, and we can get on with the pain of sibling rivalry. Sound fabulous? I thought so.

Well, we're off to enjoy a family outing. If you're going to participate, I suggest you make it something like starting labor or making my water break.

Love,

Your adoring Mommy.

38 Weeks Huge!

A Big Thank-You

I would just like to say a huge public thank you to Katie for her wonderful, loving letter that was in my inbox this morning. She gave me a wonderful wakeup and her words were so sweet and inspiring. Thanks Katie!

Well, Lucy and I are going to hang out with Grandma M and the boys today, so we need to get moving! I can't go anywhere until my clothes are dry, so I guess we'll shower and clean up and get dressed as we walk out the door!

Dance, Dance!

Proof that Lucy will do ANYTHING Alison does.

Dancing her little heart out!